Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz has dismissed as “ridiculous” reports that her week-long UK visit was linked to Panama Papers leaks case, a major legal battle that could alter the premier and his family’s political future.
Maryam’s sudden departure from the country has fuelled speculation that the visit may be related to the Panama Papers leaks case being heard by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, the Dawn reported.
However, Maryam, who arrived in London on Wednesday (8), clarified on Twitter that she came to the UK to meet her son.
“In UK to see my son. Will Insha’Allah be back in a week or so. The spin being given to my benign visit by a section of media is ridiculous,” she tweeted.
Last month, the German publication Suddeutsche Zeitung — the original source of the Panama Papers leaks — released documents supposedly linking Maryam to Minerva Financial Services Ltd, the company that owns the Park Lane flats in London.
The family of prime minister Sharif has been named in the Panama Papers, one of the biggest leaks in history.
The leak, comprising 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, shows how some of the world’s most powerful people have secreted away their money in offshore jurisdictions.
Among those named are three of Sharif’s four children — Maryam, who has been tipped to be his political successor; Hasan and Hussain, with the records showing they owned London real estate through offshore companies administrated by the firm.
Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing.
The hearing in the case is expected to resume on Monday (13) after it was postponed due to the ill-health of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio with India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Washington DC last Tuesday (21)
Anit Mukherjee
V Muraleedharan
Dr Sasikumar S Sundaram
Workers clean communication equipment aboard INS Surat on January 11